Alcohol is the best Veritaserum
by SwanQueenFanatic
Summary: SQ two-shot: Regina is drunk and taken back home by the Sheriff. But with all the alcohol in her system, the Queen reveals a little bit too much of her feelings for Emma.
1. Chapter 1: Time to go home, Your Majesty

**Hey guys! So here's the first part of a two-shot that I wrote during a sleepless night. I hope you'll enjoy it.**

 **Also, thank you for the reviews on my other OS, you're awesome, seriously!**

 **And I'd like to thank darkswanouat for beta-reading me!**

 **I'll let you read now. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time, its characters or the storyline. It's all property of ABC.**

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Regina was sitting at the bar of the Rabbit Hole. She had been there for hours, starting with a glass of wine and continuing with shots of vodka. Henry was on a trip with school for two weeks, and her house felt empty without him. She was fine the first few days, she had time to break up with Robin since their relationship was doomed to fail. She had tried so hard to forgive him for choosing Zelena over her, but she couldn't. They were going to raise their child without her to play the evil step-mother. That's when she realised she didn't miss him; not as a lover anyway. She missed the company and nothing more. In a way, she would always love him because he had been good to her, better than most of the people she had met in her life. But he would stay a friend. Friend. Her mind drifted to Emma. She was her friend too. No, she was so much more. It could be the alcohol, but she found herself thinking about the Sheriff's arms, her long, toned legs, her golden hair and her deep green eyes. Emma had been there for her from day one, more times than Regina could recall, even if she had hated Emma at first.

She would be lying to herself if she dared say that she felt nothing for the Saviour. It was deep inside her, buried where she was sure nobody would look, but it was there nonetheless.

"Madam Mayor, we're going to close now."

She groaned when she heard the bartender's voice.

"Just one more then."

He looked at her with disbelief, it had been so long since he had seen the Queen drunk.

"I think that's enough for tonight, Your Majesty."

"Do not call me that."

Her voice was calm, cold and scary. Alcohol seemed to wake up her regal stance.

The man was saddened by the scene in front of him. He was used to seeing drunk people for whom life had been a bitch, but it was putting it to a whole new level when it was the Queen. Because she had been through so much already…

"I'm going to call a cab for you, Madam Mayor."

"I won't drive home if that's what is worrying you. I'll walk."

He smiled at her. "With those shoes and your six shots? I don't think that's a good idea."

"Great, because I didn't ask for your opinion. Now if you would excuse me."

She was angry because this peasant wouldn't let her go by herself, because he tried to help her. And Regina Mills didn't need help.

She took a few steps to the door but after a few seconds she lost her balance, trembled on her heels and fell to the ground. She let out a suppressed grunt and looked directly at the ground when the man came to help her. He made her sit on a chair and took her shoes off with her permission.

"You okay?"

"Of course I am, it's just a twisted ankle."

"So, what do you want me to do now?"

She didn't respond, still refusing to look at him.

"Kay. I'm gonna call someone to pick you up."

She nodded and waited for her taxi to arrive.

What she didn't expect was that her taxi appeared to be a police car, driven by none other than Emma Swan.

"Hey bud'. Who's the lucky guy tonight?"

He pointed her in the Mayor's direction and waited for Emma to react. She was surprised, to say the least. Apparently, the bartender hadn't been specific when describing the way-too-drunk lady who needed a knight in shining armor.

"Regina? What are you doing here?"

"Admiring the wonderful architecture of the building," she said with a smirk.

"Very clever, Madam Mayor."

"I know, Miss Swan."

They looked at each other for a few seconds.

"Ladies, I have a bed waiting for me."

"Yeah, sorry man. I'm gonna bring the Queen back to her castle."

To the man's great surprise, Regina didn't react this time. Like the fact that it was Emma saying it somehow made the name acceptable.

"Can you walk to the car or should I carry you?"

She was about to answer when the bartender did.

"She twisted her ankle when she tried to prove to me that she could walk in these hellish heels."

Emma chuckled and took a look at the ankle.

"Nothing bad, but we should put some ice on it."

She took both of Regina's shoes and gave them to the brunette.

"I'm going to carry you to the car. I don't want to hear any complaints. Okay?"

"Do I look like someone who follows orders, Miss Swan?"

The blonde smiled again.

"Not really, but you're in no position to give them right now."

And without waiting any more, she lifted Regina into her arms in a bridal style.

"See you later, man."

He nodded and opened the door for the two women.

"Miss Swan, I do not like to be carried. Let me go. "

"I said no complaints. Damn it, Regina!"

The Queen was actually complaining to annoy the blonde. She felt good in her arms. After the first few steps, she rested her head on Emma's shoulder, humming at her scent and enjoying her strength and the comfort it was providing.

"These two, I swear…" the bartender added with a smile.

After putting up a very small fight, Regina was seated in the car and Emma was driving to Mifflin Street.

"Anyway, how come it's your night shift the very night I decide to get drunk as hell?"

"Fate?"

"Bullshit."

Emma smiled, she had rarely heard the Mayor swear. It was nice to see her guard down from time to time.

"Why did you get drunk on my shift?"

"Fate?"

And Emma laughed, because she was cute when she was childish

She parked the car in front of the mansion and turned towards Regina.

"Your keys, please?"

"Excuse me?"

"You know, to open the door before I take you to your house?"

She shrugged and gave her the keys. She watched Emma walk towards the house, her perfect body hidden by the darkness of the night. Was it really a good idea to let Emma carry her and take care of her? Would she be able to hold back her feelings with all the alcohol in her system? She wasn't sure. But before she could think more about it, she heard a knock on the window.

"Ready to go, Your Majesty?"

She sighed and put an arm around Emma's shoulders.

"You know I can walk, right? I don't need your help."

"I know that perfectly well. But would you please let me be a nice person for one night?

The Queen grunted and put her nose in the blonde's neck while she carried her.

"Did this kind of trick work on someone?"

"I guess it just did on you."

"Only because I don't want you to feel disheartened."

Emma smiled as she passed through the front door.

"How nice of you. Be careful, Ma'am, someone could think that you care about me."

"If only you knew," she thought. But she didn't answer, afraid that the alcohol would speak for her.

She closed her eyes, waiting for Emma to put her on the couch, but she didn't. She started climbing the stairs and entered Regina's bedroom.

"What the hell are you doing, Miss Swan?"

"Taking you to bed?"

"May I ask for how long you wanted to bed me?"

Emma was blushing furiously, the situation was awkward, but it made Regina smile, or grin, or whatever. Emma delicately put her on the bed and watched the beautiful woman in front of her. Her hair was slightly undone, her cheeks were pink because of the earlier shots, and her eyes were glazed over as she stared ahead of her.

"Hum… I'm going to… Bring you some ice. For your ankle. Don't move."

"Like I could."

Emma smiled at her and made her way to the kitchen. Seeing the Mayor like this was saddening her in a way she failed to understand. She seemed so vulnerable and fragile. She put her sassy mask on to hide it, but to Emma it was clear; there was something broken inside the woman.

She took an ice pack and a glass of water from the kitchen and came back to the bedroom. Against the Sheriff's advice, Regina had moved and changed into her pajamas. She was now dressed in purple silk and was comfier than Emma had ever seen her before.

"You're stubborn, Madam Mayor."

The brunette smirked and sat a little higher on the bed, her injured leg flat on the mattress.

"I couldn't very well stay in my work outfit to sleep, now, could I?"

Emma nodded in agreement and sat at the end of the bed.

"I'm going to take care of your ankle, and you. You must drink."

"I thought that I had enough to drink tonight."

"Regina…" the blonde sighed and handed her the glass.

She tentatively put her hands on Regina's foot, letting her fingers massage the twisted articulation slowly.

Emma's fingers were cold on her hot skin, and Regina couldn't stop the shiver that ran through her body.

"Did I… Did I hurt you?"

Regina shook her head. "Your hands are just cold."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

She took back her hands and Regina immediately missed the contact. But Emma was just rubbing them against her jeans to warm them before putting them back on Regina's ankle.

"Okay, so tell me if it hurts."

When the former queen nodded, Emma resumed her massage. Fighting to hold back any noise, Regina let her mind drift. She thought about the Sheriff, being so nice and careful with her, when anybody else would have given her the ice pack before going far away from her. She thought about the concerned look Emma had and her reaction when Regina had shivered under her touch. She thought about how she was not bothered by Emma calling her "Majesty." Her former life didn't seem like something to be afraid of with Emma, because she had never known her like that. Of course, she knew how evil she was back then, but she had learned to appreciate Regina Mills for her, not for anything else. Because everyone had always wanted her for something, she couldn't feel cared about by anyone, anyone except Emma Swan. She felt like a teenage girl again, when Daniel was alive and loved her… Tears started rolling down her cheeks without her realising. But she didn't need to notice, someone noticed for her. Emma wasn't stupid, she had seen the Mayor's mind wander. She didn't interrupt though; she looked like she needed it. But as soon as the tears were flowing, there was no way she could hold back anymore. She had stopped her massage, put ice on it, and came to sit next to the Queen. Slowly and carefully, she had taken her in her arms, holding the brunette to protect her from her demons. She said nothing; she didn't need to. The quiet sobs turned into a violent rush of tears, and she was shaking. Regina put her head on Emma's shoulder, and the blonde held her tighter, because she couldn't bear the thought of Regina suffering.

Eventually, after a few minutes of sad silence, Regina spoke. It was barely audible, her voice still weak from the crying.

"I'm sorry."

Emma looked at her with a frown. "For what?"

"For all of that. Crying in your arms, keeping you from sleeping, and being a bitch about it."

"Actually, you were almost nice tonight."

A weak smile came across Regina's face. Emma was trying to comfort her.

"You should sleep, Regina. You look like you need it."

"I was thinking about Daniel and how alone I was since he left."

"Regina…"

The brunette was looking at her hands, she didn't want to meet Emma's gaze.

"He was good with me, I felt loved. Now, I…"

"Hey, stop. You're loved Regina. Henry loves you so much."

She turned her head and stared at Emma.

"It's not the same thing, and you know it."

"I do. But still, you're not alone. You have…"

"Don't. Don't say Robin, please."

The blonde smiled but it didn't reach her eyes.

"I wasn't going to."

She chuckled when she saw Regina's reaction.

"I was going to say that you had me."

And the tears were flowing again. Emma didn't know it, but it was painful to hear her say that she was there for Regina. Because it meant that Regina couldn't push her away, she had no right to do so. It meant that she had to live with her feelings for Emma without her knowing, and it hurt. It hurt so much.

"Don't say that, please. It's painful."

"What are you talking about?"

"How am I supposed to hold back my feelings if you are here for me? How am I supposed to forget about them if you show up every time to remind me of them? How…"

But she couldn't continue. She cried harder, still in the blonde's arms.

Emma couldn't believe what the Mayor had said. Feelings? For her?

The Sheriff knew how hard it was to hide her feelings because she had done it for months now. She loved Regina so much that it was painful. But she said nothing. It was easier that way, she didn't want the Mayor to hate her. She could live with a friendship if it meant that she would see Regina smile and be happy. And now the Mayor was having feelings for her? There was no way she could deal with this right now.

"Regina, you drank too much. You have to sleep now."

"You hate me, don't you?"

Emma gave her a sad smile and put her hand on her cheek. "Regina, I could never hate you. It would be so much easier if I could."

They looked at each other, brown eyes lost in the Sheriff's green ones. There were so many unsaid things…

"Time to sleep, Your Majesty."

She kissed Regina's forehead and let her go. She helped her get under the covers and refilled the glass of water. When she was about to leave, Regina opened her eyes.

"Would you… Can you please stay tonight? With me?"

She looked so vulnerable, so small. Emma nodded and took her boots and jeans off, borrowing a pair of Regina's pajamas before slipping into the bed with her. She took the brunette in her arms once more, protecting her. Her nose was in Regina's hair and she smelt like the Rabbit Hole but with a hint of apple and caramel. She felt her smile grow; she couldn't help but enjoy the close proximity between her and Regina. Regina wasn't crying anymore and after a few seconds, Emma heard the calm breathing of the brunette and decided it was time for her to sleep too.

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 **That's it for the first part, hope you enjoyed it. Second part's coming as soon as I can!**

 **See you guys and thanks for reading.**

 **Xoxo, SQF.**


	2. Chapter 2: Time to say how you feel

**Good evening everybody! I had decided to wait a few days before publishing the second part but... Well, life happens.**

 **So here is the second and last part of Alcohol is the best Veritaserum. I hope you enjoyed it and that it wasn't too 'cheesy' for you.**

 **Thank you all for your reviews, and thank you to all the followers, you guys are seriously awesome! Also, a big thank you to darkswanouat, my beta for this little two-shots!**

 **I'll let you read, enjoy!**

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The night had been peaceful for Regina; she hadn't been woken up by the blonde, nor had she been sick. She was almost feeling good the following morning. Almost.

The sunlight was streaming into the bedroom, tearing her from her sleep. She blinked several times, trying to remember what had happened the previous night and why she had a dry mouth. When the dizziness of awakening was gone, she looked around her, trying to piece together the events from the previous night. The bar, Emma, the talk, the sleep. She groaned when she realised what she had said to the blonde and promised herself to not drink ever again. She hissed as she slowly sat up and grimaced when she felt a rush of pain in her ankle. She spotted the ice pack on the floor, it must have fallen during the night.

"Right. Twisted ankle."

What she didn't understand was the reason why the other side of her bed was unmade. She took a look at the bedside table and saw a glass of water, two aspirins and a piece of paper. After urging the two pills into her mouth, she read the paper.

"Regina, I didn't know if you wanted to wake up with me by your side, so I went to Granny's to pick up breakfast. I'll be there in twenty minutes. I'm not leaving, I swear.

Emma."

She smiled at the last words, "I'm not leaving, I swear." She felt a little better and decided to go downstairs to see if Emma had returned. Careful not to put too much weight on her bad ankle, she put a robe on and walked to the stairs. There was no noise; Emma was probably at Granny's now, so she had time to reach the kitchen. She slowly descended the staircase, step by step. She was halfway down when the front door opened.

Emma was humming a song, two bags in her arms. She went to put them in the kitchen before starting to head towards the bedroom. That's when she saw her. Regina was standing halfway up the staircase, staring at her with a small smile.

"Hey."

"Good morning."

The blonde smiled and came up to help her. "I'm pretty sure you don't want me to carry you, so… Put your arm around my shoulders?"

"That I can do."

They smiled at each other before making their way downstairs, slowly and carefully. Once in the kitchen, Emma set the table, occasionally stopping to ask the Queen where things were.

"How's your head?"

"Fine. A little fuzzy, but I guess that's the price to pay when you drink."

Emma chuckled. "That depends on who's drinking."

Regina blushed a little. "Are you saying that I am not a good drinker, Miss Swan?"

"Far from it, Your Majesty. If I had drunk as much as you did last night, I would have been dancing naked on the bar."

The thought made Regina blush harder. "Teenager even in drinking, I see."

Emma winked at her and set a plate down in front of her. "Eat. We don't want you to be sicker than you already are."

And so, they ate, accompanied by an awkward silence. Each of them was deep in their own thoughts, reliving the previous night. Emma remembered perfectly what Regina had said, and honestly, she wanted to believe it, because she felt the same. But it could have been the alcohol. Even if the doubt was small, it was there nonetheless, and she couldn't ignore it. She needed to prevent herself from suffering, because she couldn't live with Regina hating her. Not anymore.

When they were done, neither woman moved. They didn't really know why; it was strange.

"Miss Swan, I think I'm going to have a shower. I'm sure you have other things to do so I won't hold you back any more than I'm sure I already have."

She stood and looked at Emma. "Thank you for yesterday and this morning. I… I really appreciate what you've done for me."

"It's okay. I couldn't very well let you come home on your own. You know, chivalry and damsel in distress."

She winked again and it made Regina chuckle. "Well Sheriff, you certainly acted like my knight in shining armor back there."

She came closer, her face close to Emma's. "Thank you." It was whispered, but audible to the blonde in their close proximity.

Regina then leaned in and kissed Emma's cheek lightly. It was quick, but it made Emma's heart race. The Mayor didn't wait for an answer before magicking herself out of the room and directly into the bathroom.

"Wow, who could have guessed a peck on the cheek could do such a thing?" Emma thought. She blushed a little and cleared the table to distract herself. She had nothing else to do today, really. Her parents were spending time together and Henry wasn't here. She decided against her better judgement to wait for Regina. After all, she would have to take care of her ankle.

She was doing the dishes when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Regina was done with her shower and was probably coming to clean up the kitchen. Her steps were slow; she was being careful not to hurt her ankle any more. She thought about Emma, and what she was going to do about her previous confession. She didn't mean to reveal so much about her feelings, but it seemed that the alcohol had done it for her.

After a few minutes she reached the kitchen and was surprised to find the blonde still there. "Miss Swan…"

Emma turned around to face her and smiled shyly. "I'm sorry, I assumed it would be complicated for you to do the dishes with your ankle, so…"

The brunette sighed. "I can stand while I do so. I'm not badly injured."

Emma blushed slightly.

"I know, I just… I'll leave."

What was she thinking? She couldn't do it. Thinking about your feelings and actually expressing them were two very different things. The Sheriff felt vulnerable; a conversation between the two was needed, but she wasn't ready. She didn't want to hear Regina blame everything she had said on the alcohol. She didn't want to suffer any more.

"Miss Swan, wait."

But the woman didn't listen to her as she moved past her, brushing her arm in doing so, and left, not even taking back her hideous red jacket.

Regina stared at the door, trying to understand what had just happened. She guessed that Emma had been scared by the confession she had made the night before. Who would want to be loved by the Evil Queen, after all? A sad smile came across her face as she congratulated herself.

"Wonderful Regina. You have lost one of your only friends because you couldn't keep your damn mouth shut."

She was angry at herself, she wanted to break every little thing around her. But she didn't do anything, because she was trying to be better, and she had been doing well so far.

Emma was sitting at Granny's, staring at her fries as if they were garbage. She wasn't hungry. Actually, she just wanted to stay alone in her bedroom for days and sleep her pain away. But she couldn't, because she had responsibilities. The Saviour. What a wonderful role for the former orphan delinquent.

She pushed her plate away. Ruby looked at her with disbelief.

"Are you okay, Em?"

"Yeah. Everything's cool."

The waitress didn't buy it, and sat down in front of Emma.

"You never leave any fries on your plate."

"Maybe I just wasn't hungry?"

Ruby chuckled. "That is absolutely not possible. Come on, tell me."

"It's none of your business, Rubes."

The brunette frowned.

"Well, whatever pissed you off, take care of it. I don't like seeing you like this."

Emma sighed and looked at her friend.

"I'm sorry. It's just… It was a very long night."

Ruby nodded and squeezed Emma's hand before going back to her shift.

Emma stayed a little longer, enjoying the peacefulness of the café on a Sunday morning. She was about to leave when the Mayor came into sight. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a silk shirt. Her usual heels had been replaced by a pair of sneakers to give her ankle a rest. After a quick glance around the room, she spotted the Sheriff and headed in her direction.

"Miss Swan."

"Mayor Mills."

The brunette sat down where Ruby had been sitting a few minutes ago and watched Emma. The blonde was staring at her plate, refusing to look at Regina for some reason.

"Emma, look at me please."

After a few seconds of hesitation, she raised her head. Her eyes met Regina's brown ones.

"I don't want to have this conversation."

"But I do. And I intend to have it. Not here though."

There was no room for argument.

"Come to my house for lunch, please?"

Emma sighed before nodding.

"Does twelve sound good?"

The blonde nodded again.

"Great. And please, bring your tongue. I do not wish to talk alone."

Without letting Emma respond, she left. Emma couldn't go back now. She was going to tell Regina Mills how she felt.

It was ten to twelve when Emma rang at the door of the Mills mansion. She was a little early, but she guessed the Mayor wouldn't mind. When Regina opened the door, Emma was surprised to find her in a different outfit from the one she had seen that morning. She was in leggings and a sweater, her hair tied in a ponytail, and she was barefoot.

"Miss Swan, you're early. I was about to change into something more suitable."

"I guessed it would surprise you if I arrived early."

She smiled and followed the woman inside.

"Lunch isn't ready yet, but I hoped we could have a glass of cider before?"

"Yeah, sounds good to me."

The brunette nodded and handed the blonde a bottle of cider.

"Help yourself while I change."

"You know you can stay like that? You're pretty no matter what you wear."

Regina blushed furiously but tried to hide it by turning towards the stairs.

"Flattery will lead you nowhere, Miss Swan."

But they smiled anyway. While Emma waited for Regina to come back, she took a look at the pictures around the room. Henry had grown up so much in the few years she had been in Storybrooke. She couldn't imagine how much he would change in the years to come.

"Sometimes, I still wish he was my little boy, the one who told me that he'd like to be like his mommy when he grew up."

Emma turned her head and looked at Regina.

"You did an amazing job with him, he loves you so much."

The words made the former Queen smile. She took the glass Emma had filled for her and took a sip before sitting on the couch.

Emma's eyes wandered over her body and came to rest on her ankle.

"You didn't put anything on it?"

"No, it's fine. It will heal soon."

The blonde came closer and looked at the swelling. She shook her head and pressed her fingers gently on the dark area.

Regina grimaced.

"We have to bandage it."

"Don't be ridiculous."

But when she crossed Emma's glare, she stopped fighting.

"Don't move, I'm going to take care of it. I suppose you have some bandages?"

She slowly nodded before telling Emma where to find them. She returned minutes later, arnica ointment and bandage in hand.

Regina sat at the end of the couch, leaving enough space for Emma to sit too.

"Okay, give me your leg."

"Emma, I don't need you to…"

But she didn't finish her sentence when she saw the concern in Emma's face. She surrendered and put her foot on Emma's thigh. Emma put some ointment in her hand and started massaging the painful zone.

At first, no one spoke. But the silence was becoming unbearable for Regina.

"Emma, we need to talk about last night."

She nodded quietly, continuing her massage.

"Listen, I was drunk and I said things that…"

"It's okay."

"What?"

Regina frowned. She hadn't finished her sentence yet.

"It's okay if what you said was because of the alcohol. I mean… I get it."

Emma smiled, but it was a sad smile.

"Emma…"

"Nah, it's cool. I won't talk about it anymore, don't worry."

She started applying the bandage when Regina lifted her foot off of her.

"For God's sake, Emma! Would you please, let me finish my sentence?"

The blonde nodded once more and listened.

"I was going to say, before you interrupted me, that even if I was drunk, it doesn't mean I was not thinking what I said. Yes, the alcohol helped, because I would have kept all of this inside me without it. But it was just a way to express what I have felt for months, maybe years."

Emma was shocked. She didn't know how to respond.

"Are you saying that… Wait, what are you saying exactly?"

Regina smiled and put her foot back on Emma to let her finish. The blonde obliged and took a few seconds to bandage her ankle correctly.

"What I'm saying, Miss Swan, is that I feel something beyond friendship for you. And that I'm tired of hiding it.

Emma's smile was brighter than Regina had ever seen before.

"Are you really calling me 'Miss Swan' while expressing deep feelings abo-"

"Oh, shut up."

And so she came closer to Emma, leaning into her until their faces were close enough to feel each other's breath on them. After a look from Emma, she knew she had permission. She leaned further and pressed her lips against hers. Slowly, carefully, shyly at first. But when Emma responded, there was no more hesitation. Lips moved against lips. Emma's hand went to Regina's hair, discovering a whole new sensation. The former Queen brought the Sheriff closer by putting a hand behind her neck while the other rested on the blonde's cheek. There were so many things expressed, so many feelings hidden for too long. They didn't want to break the moment, but eventually they both needed air. They broke apart, resting their foreheads together, breathing heavily from the intensity of the kiss.

"I can't believe I waited so long to do this."

"I can't believe you waited either."

The brunette chuckled. "You could have done it too, you idiot."

Emma laughed and Regina decided that there was no sound more beautiful in the world.

"But I'm you're idiot."

"That you are."

They smiled at each other before kissing again, more passionately this time.

"Regina… I think… I think I love you."

Regina's smile was glowing; it could have been as bright as the sun. She was gorgeous, so wonderful.

"I have a secret to tell you, Emma. I think I love you too."

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 **Ta-daa! Okay, so hope you liked it. Please, put a comment in the box below to tell me how I could improve or to tell me how bad I am at writing (Liberty of expression, yeah?)!**

 **Xoxo, SQF.**


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